SUCC Feature: You might not remember...

TIME HAS FORGOTTEN THEM

Dr John Alexander James, OBE, CBE, MB, ChM, FRCS, FRACS.

747 players have appeared for SUCC since Sydney Grade cricket began in 1893-94.

Many played just a few matches and then disappeared from the Club’s records and even from their teammates’ memories.

When survivors of those who had played for the Club before 1920 were interviewed almost 40 years ago, none of them – not even those with lucid memories and acute observations – even mentioned John Alexander James. But James played on and off for the Club over six seasons while studying Medicine. He played in a 1st Grade Premiership season (1909-10) and in the 2nd Grade Premiers of 1911-12. He was awarded Blues for both cricket and Rugby. Then he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in World War 1 in the Medical Corps and was mentioned in despatches for conspicuous gallantry. His devotion to duty in supervising the evacuation of the wounded at some of the momentous battles of 1918 (Mourlancourt, Villers Bretonneaux, Perrone) was outstanding as he repeatedly put himself in the line of heavy shell fire. After the war, he pursued further medical studies in England before being appointed Medical Superintendent of Canberra Hospital. He practised medicine until he was 75. He was awarded the OBE in 1951 and the CBE in 1959. There’s even a hospital in the suburb of Deakin in the ACT named after him (now called Calvary John James Hospital) and a charitable health care organisation (John James Memorial Foundation) named in his memory.

So what else did he have to do to be remembered?

How has he escaped the Club’s notice?

Perhaps an accumulation of circumstances.

He played only three 1st Grade games (see below), scoring 29 runs in 4 innings. He spent most of his life away from Sydney, growing up in Queensland (Brisbane Grammar), the son of a Presbyterian minister, Rev Charles James. He served overseas from 1915 until 1919 (Gallipoli, the Western Front), studied in England (1921-23) and then practised medicine for almost 40 years in Canberra. And as with so many Great War veterans, he returned to civilian life and simply got on with his profession, playing little more cricket.

So what did he do in 1st Grade?

It took him three years to break into the University 1st Grade side as the 109th 1st Grader. In the Club’s narrow loss to Cumberland in October 1909, batting at number 9, James made only a single after, curiously, bowling a few overs, the only time he was called to the bowling crease in 1st Grade. Selection in the 1st Grade side was quite an honour in those days, even when the Club was restricted to undergraduates. Of those who took the field in 1st Grade in 1909-10, Roy Minnett would become a Test cricketer and seven others played 1st class cricket (Eric McElhone, NG Ducker, Paddy Lane, Walter Stack, Clade Tozer, Clive Single and Eric Barbour).

Sent back to 2nd Grade, James answered the selectors in emphatic fashion when he scored 101 against Redfern in December but it was not until February that he was once again summoned to 1st Grade. By that stage, 1st Grade was in fourth place so this was a vital match at Waverley Oval. James contributed only 8 in University’s 161 but on the second day, Walter Stack’s 7 for 55 was decisive in bowling Waverley out for 104. Then, Paddy Lane sent James in first with the explosive Hugh Massie. Why? It’s only speculation but James must have had a reputation as a quick scorer. He hit 20 of the opening stand with Massie (45) and then watched Minnett (86no) and Single (24no) set up the declaration which, however, did not produce an outright. The next game, against second placed Petersham at the SCG was crucial. Petersham made a challenging 223 but Owen Williams, Eric Fisher and McElhone all fell before stumps and University was in trouble at 3 for 33. On the next Saturday, the slump continued. When James was out for 2, the scoreboard read 7 for 79. But, in less than two hours of fireworks, Massie (168no) and the future Polar explorer Andy Watson (40) put on 179, still the record 8th wicket partnership in University’s 1stGrade. This was John James’ last 1st Grade game. He went back to 2nd Grade who were runners up to North Sydney while 1st Grade won a nerve-jangling final with the last pair at the crease. Lisle Terrey ‘miss hit a ball that flew away to deep slip for four’ to give University the Premiership. Terrey and Watson had put on 29 for the last wicket! James continued to turn out for the Club until 1911-12 when he played in the 2nd Grade Premiership side with his younger brother, Edward Stewart James. Edward was himself a talented sportsman, a wicket keeper in 15 1st Grade games (1st Grader no 118), a 1st Grade Rugby half back, one of the first eight to graduate in Veterinary Science from Sydney University in 1914, a Major in the Veterinary Corps in France, mentioned in despatches, awarded the OBE in 1919. When he died in 1977, he was the last survivor of the Club’s 1911-12 2nd Grade Premiership side.

The James brothers: forgotten, not remembered…until now!

SUCC Feature: Top Ten

BATTING:

BOWLING:

SUCC Feature: Meet the 'Greenies'

As Sydney University’s eighteenth AW Green Shield team begins its campaign this week, we’d like to introduce you to the Club’s next generation of players. 

Michael Glassock, an all-rounder from the Central Coast, will lead the team.  If the name sounds familiar, it should – Michael’s father played for Manly and his uncle, Craig, was an outstanding wicket-keeper/batsman for Manly, who played for the Australian Under-19s and appeared in four first-class matches for NSW.  Michael, a student at St Peter’s Catholic College, Tuggerah, plays for The Entrance Cricket Club in the senior Central Coast competition, where he recently scored 55 and took 3-16 in the same match against Terrigal.  He has already represented Combined Catholic Colleges, and has been selected in the NSW Emerging Blues squad.  His favourite cricketer is Michael Hussey. as “he was a left handed batsman, like me, who could mix attack and defence cleverly, was composed under pressure, passionate about the game and always tried to keep the game moving forwards.”

Tom Brooks is a leg spinner from St Ignatius Riverview, who has played junior representative cricket in the Hunter Valley.  Last season he represented the Northern Razorbacks in the State Under-14 Challenge tournament and Central Northern in the Country Cricket Kookaburra Cup, and was named in the NSW Country Merit Team.  His favourite cricketer is “Steve Smith, because he is a weapon.”

Ethan Clout is an all-rounder who attends St Dominic’s College, Kingswood.  This season, he has been playing Metropolitan Cup cricket for Sydney University; previously, he had a successful career in the Penrith and Hawkesbury District competitions.  Last season he represented the Hawkesbury District Cricket Association in the Under-15 EG Weblin Shield competition and helped Emu Plains to a grand final victory over Springwood in the Hawkesbury premiership.  he enjoys watching Mitchell Johnson, “due to his extremely competitive nature and aggressive style of play.”

Brayden Dilley is a batsman from Epping Boys High School.  Last season, he scored 385 runs at 48.13 for the Epping Bulls Junior Cricket Club in the Northern District Junior competition, leading his team to a premiership in the Under 16 division.  He also represented the Association in the EG Weblin Shield and the Walter Taylor Shield competitions.  His favourite player is Glenn Maxwell, “because something is always going to happen when he is involved.”

Cullen Hathurusinge is an all-rounder who played last season for Dundas in the Northern District Junior competition.  He has played successfully for Northern District in the CS Watson Shield competition this season, as well as playing Fifth Grade for Sydney University, where he took 4-32 against Western Suburbs in the last round.

Ryan McElduff is an all-rounder from St Ignatius Riverview.  This is his third season in the Green Shield competition; he played four games for Gordon in 2013-14 and seven for Gordon in 2014-15.  He has already played for a wide array of teams, including Lane Cove (Second Grade Shires and the Frank Gray Shield) and for the North Shore Junior Cricket Association at every level from the Under 10s (the WG Foster Shield) to Under 16s (Watson Shield).  He was an NSW Academy player at both Under 14 and Under 15 level.  His brother, Liam, played Second Grade for Gordon last season.  Ryan rates “scoring my first hundred” as his most memorable achievement in the game, and admires Chris Rogers “because he grinds through the hard situations even if he doesn’t look the best.”

Murray Miles is a bowling all-rounder from Kingswood High School.  He plays for Emu Plains in the Nepean District Cricket Association competition, turning out in both the Under-16s and in First Grade.  He scored 55 on his first appearance for the Emu Plains First Grade side last season, and has also played for the Penrith Junior Association at every level from the Under 10s (the WG Foster Shield) to Under 15s (EG Weblin Shield).

Jarrod Morley, a wicket-keeper from Penrith Christian School, has already appeared in Fifth Grade for Sydney University.  He has played for the Emu Plains Club since the Under-9s.  In the Under-12 competition, he came in to bat facing a hat-trick delivery in the Grand Final against Springwood, and calmly put together an unbroken, match-winning partnership of 75 with his future Sydney University club-mate Nick Arnold.  He has represented the Penrith Junior Association in every representative competition from the Under 10s (WG Foster Shield) to the Under-15 EG Weblin Shield.  His favourite cricketer is Steve Smith, Because of “his hard work, his resiliency and work ethic, which allowed him to be reselected in the Test side, and then put up numbers.”

Michael (Jono) Phoebus bats in the middle order, and bowls medium pace, for St Leo’s College, Wahroonga.  He has represented the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Hills District Cricket Association in junior competitions since the Under-10 WG Foster Shield, hitting 58 not out against Central Coast in the Graeme Malcolm Shield team last season (in which he was named player of the tournament). He has played his club cricket for Kissing Point and the Pennant Hills Pumas. 

Hamish Rogers is a batsman who attends Penrith Anglican College.  He plays for Springwood in the Penrith Junior Cricket Association and this season represented the Association in the Under-16 Andrew Blamey Cup, scoring 75 against Sutherland.  His favourite cricketer is Mike Hussey “because he’s an awesome batsman”.

Ben Sanders is a wicket-keeper/batsman who plays for the Balmain Black Tigers in the South-Eastern Junior Cricket Association.  He has also represented the South-Eastern Association in the Under-16 Watson Shield competition this season.

Connor Slater is a leg-spinner from Barker College.  He has played with great success for the Normanhurst-Warrawee club in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Hills District Cricket Association, and has turned out for the Association in representative matches since the Under-11 Creak Shield competition.  He was named player of the Ballina Under-13 carnival in 2013-14 after scoring 41 against Armidale and taking 4-15 against Tamworth and 5-20 against Hunter Valley.  His favourite player is Steve Smith – “top class leg spin bowler who evolved into a great batsman”.

Charlie Wallace, an opening bowler and useful lower-order batsman for Lane Cove, has shown excellent form this season for North Shore in the Under-16 CS Watson Shield, taking 3-12 against Blacktown and 3-19 against Fairfield-Liverpool. 

Harley Wijeyaratne is a top order batsman and occasional leg-spinner from Sydney Grammar School.  He currently plays for Randwick Black in the South-Eastern Junior Association, and last season he represented the Association in the EG Weblin Shield.  He rates his 11 from 120 balls for Grammar against Riverview as his most memorable achievement to date, and enjoyed watching Ricky Ponting, for “his positive approach to batting, his technique and the wide range of strokes.”

Natesh Yoganand, a student at St John Paul II Catholic College, Schofields, is an all-rounder who plays for the Greystanes junior club.  He played WS Gee Shield and Harold Moore Shield cricket for the Blacktown Association.  He can recall taking a wicket with his first ball in the first match he ever played, at the age of eight, and his favourite cricketer is “Adam Gilchrist, because he played the game with natural striking ability and a clear mind.”  His sister is a Cricket NSW Under-15 Academy player.

The Green Shield team plays its first match at University No1 against Campbelltown-Camden on Thursday.  The team’s draw is here: all Club members should make an effort to get to at least one of the games to support our newest players (and to keep an eye out for the players who will be after your spot in a year or two).

SUCC Feature: Five Things We Learned... Round 7

It might be a Village Green, but there’s a six-lane highway running through it

Some of us have played cricket on actual village greens.  You find them in villages.  In England.  They’re rustic.  They all seem to have one side of the outfield that slopes either up or down quite dramatically.  One boundary is marked by an old stone wall, which can’t be knocked down because it was built in 1471.  Sometimes there is a tree at mid-on.  You can tell the pitch apart from the rest of the ground because that’s the strip that they waved a lawn-mover across, half an hour before play began.  Conditions are, to be generous about it, bowler-friendly, which only goes to show that whoever gave the University of NSW home ground its name had an especially cruel sense of humour. 

For a while there in the mid-to-late 1970s, the Village Green pitch had enough pace and bounce to allow the quicker bowlers some encouragement, and Geoff Lawson (who didn’t need all that much help anyway), Greg Watson and swing bowler Steve vanderSluys all flourished there.  Then there were a few years when it turned, and Paddy Grattan-Smith and Mark Ray enjoyed it.  But for about the last thirty years, the pitch has offered bowlers nothing at all.  And on Saturday, it hosted an extraordinary match in which University of NSW very nearly pulled off a seemingly impossible chase of 422 against Manly. 

It was a remarkable chase, steered by a mammoth third-wicket partnership of 259 between the prolific David Dawson and Charlie Wakim, but although they put in an heroic effort, somehow University of NSW fumbled the finish.  With twelve balls remaining, the Bumblebees needed 13 runs with four wickets in hand – and this, in the context of the game, was far from an impossible quest.  But Manly played the closing stages of the game with real tenacity.  James Munting bowled a mean over, dismissing Jake Turner, and then James Henry was run out on the final delivery of the game attempting what would have been the match-winning third run.  The scores finished level – 5 for 422 plays 8 for 422 – and as the match was drawn, not tied, the teams gathered 844 runs between them, but no competition points.

So, yes, it was an extraordinary game.  But was it a good one?  That depends on whether you believe that cricket ought to be a contest between bat and ball.   The best of the bowlers on show was Manly’s English seamer, Nathan Buck, who tweeted after the game, “Never ever have I been in a game where in 96 overs, 422/5 played 422/8.  Give the groundsman a medal.  Said no bowler ever.”

All over Sydney, early on Saturday mornings, you can see very small children learning how to hit a ball with a cricket bat by swinging at a stationary ball sitting on a tee.  This is a skill that will come in very handy when they grow up, because it duplicates almost exactly the experience of batting on the Village Green.

The next one equals the record

At the risk of banging on about the dominance of bat over ball, while the bowlers still had a hard time of things in Round Seven, at least no double-centuries were scored.  There would have been a few, probably, except that Bankstown invoked the mercy rule against Mosman, calling it a day with a full session remaining and with Philip Wells (146) and Michael Stoneman (142) looking immovable, and Nick Larkin chose to try for outright points when Greg Mail was doing as he pleased with the Western Suburbs attack.  So after seven rounds, the number of double centuries in First Grade this season still stands at five.

Yes, even though we are only half way through the season, the next double century will equal the six that were scored in 2009-10, by Greg Mail (twice), Grant Lambert, Ashton May, Steve Cazzulino and Adam Crosthwaite.   Round eight is a one-dayer, so there’s a reasonable chance that this particular record will stand until after Christmas.  But probably not much longer.

Greg Mail isn’t tired of scoring runs yet

It’s a trap – you think Greg Mail isn’t churning out the runs quite the way he usually does, and start to wonder whether his multiple roles (banker, selector, SCA Committee member, elder statesman) aren’t dulling his appetite for runs.  And then you look at his stats for the season, and see that he has 303 runs at 75.75.  His unbeaten 164 against Western Suburbs was a ruthlessly dominant innings; he made those runs from only 186 deliveries, and hit 22 fours and a six.  In the process, he reached his 42nd First Grade century, extending his own record – the next players on the list behind him being the not-too-shabby trio of Victor Trumper, Warren Bardsley and Bob Simpson, who each made 36. 

Simpson’s tally, as it happens, increased by one a few months ago, even though he played his last game in 1980.  That happened because, during 1976-77, grade cricket was played on an afternoon when there was a solar eclipse.  The NSWCA issued warnings to players about the risks of looking at the sun while on the field, and Western Suburbs and Mosman dealt with the problem by shifting the tea interval so that they players were off the field when the eclipse occurred.  But that meant that they had altered the playing hours without the Association’s permission, and in one of the asinine, pointlessly officious decisions that the Association frequently produced in those days, the game was struck from the records – including the century Simpson scored.  This season, in its overhaul of the Grade records, the Sydney Cricket Association sensibly agreed to recognise that the game took place, which meant (among other things) that Bob Simpson won back his 36thcentury and Mosman’s Dave Colley had his 500th First Grade wicket returned to him.

Anyway.  Back to Mail.  The records he breaks these days are ones that he holds already, so we tend to miss them, but in Round Seven he became the first player to reach 14,500 First Grade runs, and the first player to pass 9,500 First Grade runs for Sydney University.  He extended his record number of centuries to Sydney University to 29.  It is, theoretically, possible for the second player on the list, Ed Cowan (who has 12) to catch him, but only if the programme over the next couple of years is arranged so that Ed plays an awful lot of games for SUCC on the Village Green.

Anthony Kershler has called it a day

Hawkesbury left-arm spinner, Anthony Kershler, who began the season in spectacular form, has retired from First Grade after deciding to move to Kingscliff in Northern New South Wales.  It brings an end to a career in which the durable spinner became only the third player (after Tony Clark and Ken Hall) to play 400 First Grade matches, and the thirteenth bowler to take 700 First Grade wickets.

Ken Hall was actually one of his team-mates when the 18 year-old Kershler he made his debut for Penrith against Fairfield in Round One of the 1986-87 First Grade competition, on 27 September 1986.  It was an inauspicious start; Fairfield hit 376, and Kershler, the sixth bowler used, bowled seven overs for 26 runs without a wicket.  He was far from the least successful bowler in First Grade on the day, because this was the day when Western Suburbs ran up a huge score against Petersham, whose off-spinner Wayne Mulherin recorded the figures of 35-2-188-0, prompting Waverley’s David Hourn to say that “those aren’t bowling figures – that’s my phone number in Bondi”.  Kershler took his first wicket in Round Two, on the Monday of the October long weekend, and it was a good one – Campbelltown’s Brett Williams, a future Sheffield Shield opener, who was stumped by Greg Gavin.  Over the next 29 years, Kershler moved from Penrith to Parramatta to Hawkesbury, taking 742 wickets in First Grade, the last of which belonged to Easts’ Shane Devoy last Saturday.

In case anyone is tempted to dismiss Kershler’s record as owing more to longevity than class, it’s important to remember that he was a regular member of the New South Wales side in 1994-95.  He helped NSW to beat the touring English side at Newcastle, taking 2-27 and 3-41 – which included the scalps of Graeme Hick, Mike Gatting (twice), Graham Thorpe and John Crawley.  In his next game, he took 5-42 and 2-46 against Queensland, dismissing both Allan Border and Andrew Symonds in each innings.  Not only a long serving bowler then, but – at his best – a very good one indeed.  The Grade competition will be poorer without him.

Jordan Gauci is one to watch

Jordan Gauci is still six months short of his eighteenth birthday, but already he has an Under-19 Test century to his credit, and has been named with Sydney University’s Jonte Pattison in Australia’s provisional squad for the Under-19 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh next February.  The Campbelltown-Camden right-hander hit his maiden First Grade century in Round Six, an undefeated 108.  But while that was an impressive feat for so young a player, it was accomplished in the middle of one of those North Sydney Oval run-orgies that tend to strip scores of their significance.  In many ways, his more impressive innings was played last weekend.  Campbelltown was chasing only 238 against Parramatta, and seemed to be cruising when Jason Clarke carried his side to 3 for 192.  But Parramatta fought back strongly, Campbelltown collapsed, and the next six wickets fell for only 41 runs.  Gauci, batting at six, held his nerve through the last hour and a half of the innings, and helped to guide Campbelltown home with only one wicket in hand.  He scored only 13 not out, but that innings told a great deal about his composure, maturity and ability to withstand pressure.  He’s one to watch.

SUCC News: Larkin, Somerville and Pattison step up

Congratulations to Nick Larkin and Will Somerville, who have been added to the Sydney Sixers squad as Supplementary List players for the 2015-16 Big Bash League.  Neither player has yet appeared in representative Twenty 20 cricket, but this season they may well receive an opportunity to join their Sydney University team-mates Ed Cowan and Ryan Carters on the field with the Sixers.

Jonte Pattison is already a veteran of representative Under-19 cricket, having played one Test and eight limited-overs internationals for the Australian Under-19 team.  His efforts in the recent national Under-19 championships (in which he led ACT/NSW Country to the final and scored a brilliant unbeaten 110 against Queensland) earned him a place in the provisional squad for the Under-19 World Cup to be played in Bangladesh in February 2016.  The selectors have named a squad of 21 players, which is to be culled to 15 before the tournament begins. 

SUCC Feature: Milestone Monday

Greg Mail keeps on breaking records – it’s just that these days, he already holds the records he’s breaking, so we don’t notice quite so much.  Saturday’s dominant 164 not out against Western Suburbs was his 42nd century in First Grade, which further extends his lead over three of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen – Victor Trumper, Warren Bardsley and Bob Simpson – each of whom scored 36.  As the next-best current player on the list is Ben Rohrer (with 19), it is impossible to imagine this record being matched within the foreseeable future.  It was his 29th First Grade century for Sydney University – Ed Cowan, with 12, is second on the list.  In the course of the innings, he became the first batsman to pass 14,500 runs in Sydney First Grade cricket, and the first batsman to pass 9,500 First Grade runs for Sydney University.

In the course of his opening partnership of 119 with Greg Mail on Saturday, Will Hay became the ninth player in the Club’s history to pass 6000 runs in all grades.  He now has 6027.  In the same innings, Nick Larkin fell one run short of achieving the same milestone: his aggregate for the club in all grades is now 5999.

Jim Ryan’s 6-62 against Western Suburbs in Second Grade was his second five-wicket haul in Second Grade.

Fourth Grade produced an excellent effort in the field to come within a single wicket of dismissing Wests twice in a day.  Jack Gibson’s 5-19 was his second five-wicket haul for the club and his best analysis in any grade. 

Kobe Carroll’s 72 against Western Suburbs was his highest score in Fifth Grade.

SUCC Feature: In the sheds... The Nags

Throughout the days play topic of conversation inevitably turns to the plans for the coming evening and this usually opens with the one word question, "Nags?"  More often than not followed by some combination of the following;

“yeah, why not?”

 “ah might join for a cheeky one or two”

“I’ll come but I don’t have circuit kit”

The latter often comes as a wily tactical move from the more seasoned members of the club.  It is this approach that often results in Will Hay wearing board shorts, which potentially fit him in first Year College, however have seemingly shrunk significantly since.

Once the decision has been made that the boys are heading to the Nags there is inevitably the “do you even know where the nags is?” sledge to a team mate who has, (often unfairly but other times entirely justified i.e. Jack Holloway) been dubbed a poor club man who never comes back to enjoy a drink or two.  Then follows the planning on how best to get from the far and distant corners of Sydney back to Glebe’s favourite watering hole. The immediate fear is that you’ll be stuck riding solo with the rare unit in your team and have to endure an hour of his chat.

The first two or three people to arrive set up immediately in front of the bar, making use of the bar table, which has a maximum capacity of two plates of food and nothing else.  Gradually as more and more arrive we begin to dominate the entire front room of the pub, rearranging chairs and tables to ensure that we all fit in a somewhat horrendously misshaped circle.

The usual gripes and complaints are directed at whomever happens to be club captain, for now Henry Clark, who cops the brunt of the friendly advice (read as abuse).  The fact that beer actually needs to be ordered and doesn’t just magically appear at the table is inevitably his fault.  When the aforementioned Will Hay gets a bit peckish the shout of “CLARK. Chippies.” can be heard by all.

The single blokes usually gravitate to a corner hovering over a phone looking through their respective Tinder matches, it quickly develops into a competition on who can throw out the most outlandish chat, early season form suggests that new recruit Tom Decent may be in a league of his own in this domain. 

Once the clock ticks 10:30, the plans for the night are decided. Usually dependent upon the days results the cohort decide whether to venture onwards and upwards or to shuffle home in a post lost depression.   If it has been a successful day on the field, it obviously stands to reason that it will be a successful night off the field. Come 11pm the cohort will stumble down to Parramatta Road to relocate. If Ben Joy is deciding on the next location we undoubtedly will be jumping into cabs and heading towards the Sheaf, if Ash Cowan (more than likely sporting a billabong shirt and dusty ¾ length jorts) is in charge it’ll be just through Uni and across to the Marly. 

Wherever the next location, it inevitably ends with someone (Liam Robertson) smoke bombing early, someone playing a thousand shots and still nicking off for none (this list is too long to name just one), someone getting advised to leave by security and the left overs thinking a 3am trip to the casino is the only logical progression. 

Regardless of where you end up, or how you feel the next morning, you’ll be back the following Saturday because this is why we play cricket.   The hours spent doing absolutely nothing at the Nags are what makes this terrible sport the greatest game of all.